Penny Wong says Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be upheld amid global backlash to Trump plan | Ukraine
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has warned that any peace plan for Ukraine must not hand Vladimir Putin new territory, amid fierce international backlash to Donald Trump’s proposal.
The US president’s plan sparked an angry reaction from Ukrainians over the weekend before the country’s European allies released an alternative plan during talks in Geneva. This plan does not include some pro-Russian provisions in the original US-backed document and calls for respect for Kiev’s sovereignty.
On Monday, Wong repeated that call and said there needed to be a solution to the war that has been going on for almost four years.
“We support Russia’s efforts to reach a peace agreement that will end its illegal and immoral war and preserve security and stability in Europe,” he said.
“A lasting peace should support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, promote security and stability in Europe, and ensure that Russia does not renew its aggression.”
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Trump had initially given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign his plan. It calls for Kiev to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce the size of its army and give up long-range weapons. It also eliminates the establishment of European peacekeepers and sanctions for Russia’s war crimes.
As discussions began in Geneva, Trump criticized Ukraine for showing “zero gratitude” for US assistance in the conflict, prompting a conciliatory response from Zelenskyy.
In Australia, the leading Ukrainian community body said it firmly rejected Trump’s offer. Kateryna Argyrou, president of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations, said the plan rewarded aggression, pressured Ukraine to surrender its sovereignty and set a dangerous precedent for the Indo-Pacific region.
“This shameful ‘agreement’ is not a solution; it is a dangerous surrender to tyranny and aggression,” Argyrou said.
“This would reward Putin by giving up unoccupied territory, lifting all sanctions, returning most frozen Russian assets, and offering no compensation for war crimes committed by Russian forces.
“He would be betraying Ukraine’s sovereignty by demanding that Ukraine give up its territory, halve its army, abandon NATO goals, and ban international peacekeepers.”
Argyrou called on the Albanian government to join allies such as Britain, Germany, France, Japan and Canada in rejecting Trump’s plans. These countries warned that Ukraine’s borders should not be changed by Russian force.
Trump later said the plan “is not my final proposal,” opening the door to significant changes.
“We want to achieve peace. This should have happened a long time ago,” he said at the White House. “We’re trying to finish this, we have to finish it one way or another.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said weekend talks between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators were “probably the best ever.”
Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko said more targeted sanctions against Russia were needed, as well as the transfer of frozen Russian assets to Kiev for the war effort.
“You can see any concession to Russia, they perceive it as a weakness and then they pounce on it.”
He said that the weekend Geneva meetings were productive.
“There are also some very important red lines for Ukraine and the European allies, and we are working with everyone involved. It is certainly too early to make predictions.”
“At the end of the day, we are defending democracy there and fighting for our own survival. We need the support of our allies. We need the support of Australia, to whom we are grateful for any help we can get.”
